Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we all have been recurringly hearing this buzz word #vitualevents. Across social media walls and our mailboxes are blowing up with the notifications of different types of virtual meetings in various virtual environments.
Universities, business firms, communities, professional groups, and almost every get-together have been shifted to virtual spaces. However, this shift from the conventional way of meetups is increasingly gaining traction. It is because virtual events expanded the audience range, and exponentially improved the ROI’s. Thus a study held by Markletics reveals 55% of virtual event organizers plan to invest more in virtual events in 2021.
Businesses are witnessing an untrodden turnout ratio in virtual events than physical meetings. Universities are gaining exponential student interaction rates on their education fairs and webinars. Likewise, every industry sector is exploring the increasing benefits of virtual events. Yet, as a new way to reach the target audiences, business owners are still perplexed about how to tap the best out of their virtual events.
In this blog, let’s check how to explore the benefits of virtual events quite effectively.
What are Virtual Events?
Any event that is held online can be said as a virtual event. This kind of event is not much different from the in-person meetings in terms of purpose but only in its delivery mode. To say, virtual events required a well mature virtual environment to run the event itineraries efficiently.
Like a physical event, virtual events also have all components such as the lobby, network rooms, sponsor boards, seminar sessions, exhibition halls, brand booths, etc. But the only difference is, all of these components come together in a single event platform. Also, it can be managed from a centralized dashboard with real-time data insights.
What is an Ideal Virtual Event Platform?
Today, there are tens and hundreds of virtual event platforms available with manifold features. However, as each event has its unique purpose and KPI’s, the features required to run the events are also varied. To find your ideal virtual event platform, you need to keep few points in mind and check all these following features are available.
- Custom Event Development: make sure your virtual event platform gives you the freedom to create your kind of virtual environment.
- Event Development Support: Ensure your virtual event platform provider keeps providing out-to-out support for your successful virtual events.
- Multilevel Communication Channels: As virtual events give attendees the freedom to connect from any location and device, each attendees’ best communication channel will differ. Hence, you have to make sure your event hosting platform is multiple communication functionalities.
- Self-service or Full-service: Based on the purpose and the frequency of virtual events, you should ensure that the provider can serve both the way.
- Capacity of the Virtual Platform: Before heading for an investment, make sure the virtual platform can accommodate any kind of event for you.
- Reliability of the Platform: Reliability of the platform is of high significance, and it should possess the same level of service capacity every time that we host a virtual event.
- Report and Analytics: Event report and analytics is a vital characteristic of the platform. It can give accurate insight and help you to improve future events.
Benefits of Hosting Virtual Meetings
Virtual events offer a lot of benefits in many aspects to the organizers. Mostly, it reduces the tremendous amount of human effort to make an event successful. Plus, virtual conferences significantly reduces the time and cost involved in hosting an event. Unsurprisingly, the list benefits are not limited to these, let check it in detail
- Pocket Friendly: Virtual conferences are much affordable than hosting a physical event. Statistically, institutions and corporate firms are attested that virtual events are 75% less expensive.
- Extended Audience: This is one of the most exciting benefits that the virtual environment offers to the organizers. Virtual events swept away the boundaries of event reach. It accommodates any number of audiences from around the globe.
- Saves Time and Effort: Generally, organizing an event involves a lot of time and manual human effort. Virtual events shrink it into an optimal level. The event organizers and the staff can set up all the event itineraries digitally.
- Easy Networking: Since everyone attends the events online, there would be no rush as if in a physical event. Plus, many virtual event platforms provide professional matchmaking features that help attendees connect with their target groups.
- Surveys and Feedback: Collecting feedback and conducting surveys in virtual events is much easier than in physical events. Organizers can directly shoot survey questions and feedback forms to every attendee, and the audiences can directly react to real-time pools and surveys.
- Flexibility and Measurability: Virtual events are very flexible in nature. Organizations can host any kind of event right from the platform regardless of any operational dilemmas. Plus, virtual events are measurable also. Event organizers can accurately pull the data from the platforms and get the insights promptly.
Bottom Line
Virtual events offer a range of benefits to explore. The virtual event platform we use and its capacity is an instrumental factor determining how well we can benefit from the events. Organizers with the right approach can tap the potential and improve their ROI exponentially with the right tools in place. With a robust event strategy and planning, you can explore the features and gain operational and strategic advantage for your business.